This thesis review recent and more traditional thinking of the system theory,
creativity in the workplace, job design and motivation theories to propose a
psychological perspective to the regulation of individual action in complex
and uncertain work environments. Components from the Action Regulation
Theory (Frese & Zapf, 1994) and the Self-Determination Theory (Deci &
Ryan, 2000) are put in relation in order to test a model of key cognitive
schemas related to the accomplishment of collective and individual tasks in
the workplace. We propose that these hierarchically organized cognitive
schemas are central to efficient action regulation in adaptive social systems.
Our measures of these cognitive schemas are based on scales proposed in
literature on role ambiguity (eg. Sawyer, 1992; Breaugh & Colihan, 1994) and
are put in relation with measures of satisfaction of psychological needs (Van
den Broeck, Vansteenkiste, De Witte, Soenens & Lens, 2009) and
psychological well-being (Goldberg, 1972). Data from 153 full-time
employees from a video game company were collected across 2 time periods.
Results indicate that different types of cognitive schemas associated with the
individual and collective goals are related to different types of psychological
need satisfaction and that psychological need satisfaction is related to
psychological well-being. Our results also support the hypothesis of a
hierarchical organization of these cognitive schemas based on their level of
abstractness or proximity with concrete action. These results begin to explain
the process through which different types of cognitive schemas developed in,
and influenced by, the working environment relate to employee attitudes and
well-being. Theoretical and practical implications for motivation, learning,
empowerment, psychological well-being and job design in complex and
uncertain work environment are discussed.